Ithaca, NY
The Ithaca Common Council voted unanimously on March 4, 2026 to end the city's contract with Flock Safety. The resolution requires all Flock equipment to be disconnected and shut down within 14 days of enactment and physically removed as soon as practicable. Twenty-two license plate readers were operating inside city limits at the time of the vote.
What moved this decision
- Conflict with Ithaca’s sanctuary city policy limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement
- Contract language letting Flock share data with third parties on a “good faith belief” without local authorization
- A camera positioned near St. James AME Zion Church raised religious-surveillance concerns
- Documented access to Flock’s network by ICE and Border Patrol
What happened afterwards
Flock equipment was ordered shut down within 14 days and removed thereafter. The Tompkins County Legislature terminated its own separate Flock contract five weeks later, on April 14, 2026, ending ALPR use by both the city police and the county sheriff.
What we still don’t know
These are the records we would need to describe this decision completely. If you can help obtain them, or already have them, get in touch.
- Whether Ithaca paid an early-termination fee and what it was
- What became of previously captured data retained by the vendor after termination